Plow tool

ABSTRACT

The invention provides for plows or plow-type tools which are attached to supporting members and positioned for rotation in operative spaced relationship to interior surfaces of a mixing chamber. The plows are provided with attached edges or spacer portions of a destructible material whereby when the plow is operative the edge is destroyed and intermixes with the material in the chamber that is stirred and moved by the plow. The plow is positioned for operative movement and secured to its supporting member(s) by first setting the plow with its destructible edging or spacer portions directly upon the surfaces to which the plow movement is related. Although it is desirable to have the spacer material or edging of a character and kind that will not contaminate the material to be moved and mixed by the plow, this feature is not necessarily a limiting requirement of the invention. Upon destruction and removal of the edging or spacer portions, the operative structure of the plow is left in properly spaced relationship to the interior surfaces of the chamber in which the plow functions. Alternatively, the spacer material may be of paper or paperboard adhesively secured to the edges of the plow and removed therefrom by peeling the paperboard away after the plow has been secured in spaced relationship in the mixing chamber.

United States Patent [451 May 16, 1972 Fortunski [541 PLOW TOOL [72] Inventor: Anthony C. Fortunski, Grosse Pointe Park, Mich.

[73] Assignee: Fargo Machine & Tool Company, Detroit,

Mich.

[22] Filed: July2, 1970 Appl. No.: 51,936

Primary ExaminerEverette A. Powell, Jr. Attorney-Benjamin W. Colman [5 7] ABSTRACT The invention provides for plows or plow-type tools which are attached to supporting members and positioned for rotation in operative spaced relationship to interior surfaces of a mixing chamber. The plows are provided with attached edges or spacer portions of a destructible material whereby when the plow is operative the edge is destroyed and intermixes with the material in the chamber that is stirred and moved by the plow. The plow is positioned for operative movement and secured to its supporting member(s) by first setting the plow with its destructible edging or spacer portions directly upon the surfaces to which the plow movement is related. Although it is desirable to have the spacer material or edging of a character and kind that will not contaminate the material to be moved and mixed by the plow, this feature is not necessarily a limiting requirement of the invention. Upon destruction and removal of the edging or spacer portions, the operative structure of the plow is left in properly spaced relationship to the interior surfaces of the chamber in which the plow functions. Alternatively, the spacer material may be of paper or paperboard adhesively secured to the edges of the plow and removed therefrom by peeling the paperboard away after the plow has been secured in spaced relationship in the mixing chamber.

17 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAHBIBIZ 3,663,120

SHEET 1 UF 2 FIG-4 INVENTOR. ANTHONY C. FORTUNSKI ATTORNEY PATENTEDMAY 16 I972 SHEET 2 OF 2 FIG. 8

FIG. 9

I N VE N TOR. ANTHONY C. FORTUNSKI ATTORNEY PLOW TOOL The invention relates to an improved plow or plow-type tool having attached to edges or edge portions of the plow, a layer of material generally though not specifically of the character of the material with which the plow is to function in a mixing chamber or other container, such that the edging material will break, or peel, or be peeled away from the plow edges to which it is attached and merge with and form a part of the material being mixed or moved by the plow. The edging may be continuous along one or more edge surfaces of the plow or it may be attached in spaced apart portions to such plow edges, these edges being the ones that require a spaced relationship to interior surfaces of the mixing chamber. The thickness of the edging material or edge portions is the dimension of the spaced relationship required for installation of the plow with respect to such interior surfaces.

For example, a plow used in a foundry sand mixing or mulling machine, to mix foundry sands with binders and other materials, is preferably edged with a sand material attached to the lateral and bottom edges of the plow by a suitable adhesive. The thickness of the edging material is such that when the plow is installed and secured to its support arm in the mixture, the exposed surfaces of the edging material make touching contact with the bottom floor, side walls and/or other interior chamber surface or surfaces, the plow then being fixed and secured in position. Upon rotation of the plow in the foundry sand being mixed and mulled, the sand edging material is fragmented, breaks away and merges with the foundry sand materials in the mixing chamber. This leaves the plow in the desired predetermined spaced relationship to the floor bottom and side wall of the mixing chamber. Thus, the edging material provides an installation dimension in solid form, making it much easier and cheaper to install a plow for substantially precise relationship to these interior surfaces. The facility for accurate installation is vastly improved and the time required for such accurate installation is greatly reduced.

There are definite operational advantages in spacing accuracy. The muller is kept clean and wear of the muller wheels is appreciably reduced. The plow is at a constant height with respect to the chamber floor. Where loose foundry sand is being mixed and mulled, a wider tolerance is allowed; for example, the bottom edge of the plow can be spaced from oneeighth to one-fourth inch above the floor plane. Where sands are relatively thick and coated with binder materials, i.e., more viscous, the plow bottom edge should be as close to the floor as possible without interference to its movement in the mixer. Since these mixing machines are not built, nor maintained, as precision machines a certain tolerance is required to avoid interfering engagement of moving with non-moving parts. Most machines have their parts and surfaces flat and square within a one-sixteenth inch tolerance limit, and such variation must be accommodated in the spacing of the movable plow.

The edging material for sand mixes is preferably either a sand-type material or a paperboard type material. Where plows are required for mixing paper pulp, a suitable paper material can be secured to the edge or edges of the plow. Where plows or plow-type tools are required for use in connection with other materials, an edging of such material or closely related material is recommended for attachment to the plow or tool in accordance with the concept of this invention. If contamination of the product to be mixed and mulled is to be avoided, the peel-away spacer edging can be used.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a new improved plow or tool for moving, stirring or mixing materials in a vessel or chamber. The invention further provides for edging such plow or tool with an edging material, either continuously or in spaced-apart portions, for establishing a dimensional spacing relationship between the operative edge of the plow or tool and the adjacent surfaces of the vessel or chamber within which it functions. Still another object is to provide such a plow or tool with edging material that is destructible and removed during and by the operative functioning of the plow or tool, leaving operative edges of the plow in spaced-apart relationship to the adjacent surfaces of the vessel or chamber within which it is operative. Yet another object is to provide a spacer edging material which is adhesively secured to the plow edge or edges and can be peeled away therefrom after the plow has been securely fastened in the mixer and before it is placed in operation.

Various further and more specific objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear from the description given below, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example preferred forms of the invention. Reference is here made to the drawings annexed hereto and forming an integral part of this specification, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plow or mixing tool embodying the inventive construction and showing the vessel or chamber in which it is operative, in fragmentary broken away portion.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an illustration substantially similar to that of FIG. I but showing edges of the plow tool covered with an attached continuous edging of the destructible material.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to that illustrated in FIG. 1, showing the spaced relationship of the plow to the adjacent interior vessel surfaces, with the destructible edging portions indicated in broken line.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section of the bottom edge of the plows illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, taken through the edging material.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view similar to that illustrated in FIG. 5, showing a modified form of edging material.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of another style of plow having a laminated paperboard spacer edging strip adhesively applied to edges of the plow,

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a portion of the plow illustrated in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to that in FIG. 8 showing the laminated paperboard edging material applied in relatively short length portions.

Mixers and mullers are used to mix and mull a wide variety of materials including food products, chemicals, clays, chocolate mixes, and mixes of various plastic-state materials. The plows and tools embodying the inventive features hereindisclosed are utilized in machines designed to perform mixing and mulling operations on these materials.

As illustrative examples only of preferred forms of the invention, a plow or mixing tool 10 (and it is to be understood that whenever the term plow is used in this specification and in the claims, the term encompasses and includes a tool performing a mixing, stirring or similar function) comprises a body 12 having side edges 14 and 16 and a lower bottom edge 18. The remaining edges of the plow, i.e., the upper and interior lateral edges which do not have a dimensional relationship in their movement to and adjacent an exterior or interior wall or other surface of the vessel or chamber within which the plow functions, are not edged with the destructible or peelable edging material since there is no need for establishing a specific spaced functional relationship for such surfaces. However, the bottom edge 18 and the exterior lateral edge 16, which are placed in spaced relationship to the floor 20 and the outer side wall 22, respectively, of the mixing chamber 24 iilustrated in FIG. 1, do require such spacing as is established by the edging material 26 attached by a suitable-adhesive 28 to the vertical edges 14 and 16, and horizontal bottom edge 18 of the plow body 12. The edging 26 may be arranged in spaced portions (FIGS. 1 and 2) 34, or in a continuous layer 36 FIG. 3). Where the interior and/or upper edges of a plow 10 are required to operate in closely adjacent relationship to mixing machine surfaces, then of course such edges are also covered with the edging material 26. Where the plow operates in a predetermined spaced relationship to an interior column, post or surface, the edging material is, of course, applied to the edge of the plow that is next adjacent such interior element of the mixer.

The edging material 26 is preferably arranged across the entire width of the plow edge requiring such material (FIG. 5), although it will be understood by persons skilled in the art that in some instances the edging material may extend beyond the width of the plow edge or may be dimensionally narrower than such edge. The thickness of the edging material will vary from application to application, although ordinarily it will not vary in the edging of a single plow. In some instances, the plow must be installed in closer relationship to mixing chamber surfaces, and in some cases further away from such surfaces. Therefore, the thickness of the edging material 26 adhesively attached to edges or edge portions of the plow tool may vary anywhere from as little as 0.040 inch to as much as one-half inch, depending upon the nature and character of the granular or other type material which is being moved, stirred, agitated or mixed by the plow, and the condition and physical characteristics of the chamber surfaces in relationship to which the plow is to be operative.

In the case of foundry sands, it is preferred to have the edging material 26 made of a suitable type of sand which is secured to the plow edges by a suitable material such as an epoxy, silicone, or pressure-sensitive contact adhesive. The edging material is applied in greater thickness than that which is to become its final dimension, and the excess is removed by scraping, grinding or abrading, leaving the desired thickness A of edging material 26 on the edges of the plow tool (FIG. 5). Because the sand edging 26 is highly frangible, a protective layer of a pressure-sensitive adhesive coated paper 30 (FIG. 6) is applied to the exterior surface of the edging layer 26, whether such edging is continuous or in spaced relatively short length portions 34. The outer paper layer helps to keep the sand edging compact and, to a degree, resists its premature destruction during handling and installation of the plow.

In the case of the plow required in a paper pulp mixer, the edges of the plow are provided with an edging material of cardboard, bristolboard, tag board, corrugated board or other similar paper-type materials which will merge with and not unduly contaminate the mix in which the plow will be operative. The excess thickness of paper board, if any, is again removed by scraping, abrading or grinding, to provide the desired or required thickness of edging material 26 on the edges of the plow. Alternatively, as will be described further below, the paper edging can be made of a single layer of paper material having a predetermined and pre-established thickness, or of a plurality of such layers suitably laminated together to the desired thickness. Paper and paperboard, which are compressible, also provide a protective safety edging for plows having tungsten carbide covered or tipped edges.

The plows 10 can be made of several designs, styles and configurations, and it will be understood by persons skilled in the art to which the invention pertains that a plow of practically any configuration designed for installation in a mixing or mulling machine in spaced relationship to the machine surfaces can embody the inventive features hereindisclosed. A plow design different from that illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 inclusive is illustrated in FIGS. 7-9.

The plow 50 is designed as a foundry sand lifting plow. Its leading forward edge 52 and body 54 are canted at an angle to the mixer floor surface 56 so that the sand is lifted from the floor upwardly to the muller wheel (not shown), the outer lateral edge 60 moving closely adjacent the outer exterior wall 22 of the mixer. The plow bottom edge 64, adjacent the forward edge 52, is disposed in a plane that is fairly parallel to the interior floor surface. A plow support bar 66 is secured to the plow body 54 by a cross-member 68 and fasteners 70, or in any other suitable fashion.

As illustrated particularly in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, the plow edges 64 and 60 are covered with a laminated paper edging material 72 comprising adhered layers of paper or paperboard 74. The surface of such laminate which is to be adhered to the plow edges is precoated with a thin layer of a suitable pressure-sensitive adhesive 28, or alternatively the plow edges can be precoated with such adhesive. The paper laminate is then pressed against such edges, adhering it to the plow and providing the spacing edging so important in the plow installation procedure. Of course, the edging material 72 need not be in laminate form but may comprise a single layer of paper material coated on one side with the pressure-sensitive adhesive.

Where relatively short lengths or tabs of paper laminate edging 76 are used (FIG. 9), the laminate thickness can be varied so that a greater thickness can be applied to the lateral plow edge 60 and a lesser thickness to the bottom edge 64 adjacent the mixer floor surface 56, or vice versa.

Plows of any design may be edged with the spacer edging 26 or 72 as described herein.

The plow 10 or 50 having the edging material 26 or 72 adhesively attached thereto is placed in the mixing chamber 24 with the edging material at rest upon the adjacent chamber floor 20 or side wall 22 with which it is to have an operative functional spaced relationship. If any other interior surface of the vessel or mixing chamber is involved in such relationship, the plow should be provided with edging material 26 at an adjacent surface(s). The plow is then secured to its supporting member 40 or 66 by suitable fasteners while the edging material 26 or 72 is in direct contiguous contact with the chamber surfaces. The thickness A of the edging material provides a simple dimensional control for the installation. It is not necessary for the installer to continuously examine and adjust the spaced relationship of the edges of the plow to the adjacent mixing chamber surfaces while securing the plow to its support member, as is presently required for installation of a plow without the spacer edging material. Accuracy and speed of installation of plows embodying this invention are marked advantages over currently available plows and their installation practices.

When the plow 10 or 50 goes into operation with the par ticulate material being mixed or stirred, the frangible sand, paper or other edging material 26 or 72, as the case may be, is broken away and removed from the edges of the plow and is merged with the mix being stirred (FIG. 4). Such edging material is small in volume by comparison to the large mass of material being mixed, and even if it is appreciably different from the latter, its contamination proportion thereof is extremely small. Nevertheless, whenever possible, it is recom mended that edging materials similar to that which is to be mixed or stirred should be used on the plow edges, or the peelable paper edging 72 can be used. Such edging 72 is merely stripped from the plow edges before the material to be mixed is placed in the mixing machine, leaving the plow edges in proper spaced relationship to the floor and the interior or exterior next adjacent column or wall surfaces.

It will of course be understood that the edging material 26 or 72 may be made of lesser or greater thicknesses than that disclosed, for particular applications which are not now comprehended or anticipated. It is also to be understood that the edging material may be applied in a manner or by means different from those herein specifically disclosed, while still embodying the inventive concept.

After the adhered edging material has been removed by peeling or merged with the material being mixed, the operative edges 18, I4, 16, 60 or 64 of the plow are now in the desired predetermined spaced relationship with the interior chamber surfaces with respect to which the plow functions.

Although certain particular embodiments of the invention are hereindisclosed for purposes of explanation, further modifications thereof, after study of this specification, will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. Reference should be had to the appended claims in determining the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A plow tool for stirring or mixing material in a vessel or chamber having a layer of frangible frail readily removable edging material of predetermined dimensional character secured to and along one or more edges of said tool,

said layer of edging material defining a closely spaced relationship for said plow tool edges with adjacent interior surfaces of said vessel or chamber upon the installation of said plow tool therein,

said edging material being readily destroyed and removed from said tool edges during the operative functioning of said tool in said vessel or chamber to leavesaid tool edges in properly spaced operative relationship to said adjacent interior surfaces.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said edging material extends and is secured upon said one or more tool edges which move in said spaced relationship to the interior surfaces of said vessel or chamber in which said tool is operative.

3. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said layer of edging material is arranged in portions spaced apart from each other along said one or more tool edges.

4. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said layer of edging material is arranged continuously alongsaid one or more tool edges.

5. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said edging material is adhesively secured to said one or more tool edges.

6. A plow tool for stirring or mixing material in a vessel or chamber having a layer of frangible frail readily removable edging material of predetermined dimensional character secured to and along one or more edges of said too],

said layer of edging material defining a closely spaced relationship for said plow tool edges with adjacent interior surfaces of said vessel or chamber upon the installation of said plow tool therein,

said edging material being readily removable from said tool edges prior to the operative functioning of said plow tool in said vessel or chamber to leave said tool edges in properly spaced operative relationship to said adjacent interior surfaces.

7. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said edging material comprises a relatively thin layer of adhesive, and a layer of frangible particulate material secured to said adhesive layer.

8. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said edging material comprises a relatively thin layer of adhesive, a layer of frangible particulate material secured to said adhesive layer, and an outer covering layer of paper material adhesively secured to and upon said layer of frangible material.

9. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said edging material comprises a relatively thin layer of adhesive, and a layer of paper-type material secured to said adhesive layer.

10. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said edging material comprises a relatively thin layer of adhesive, and a plurality of paperboard-type layers laminated together and having a surface thereof secured to said adhesive layer.

11. The structure defined in claim 9, wherein said paper-type edging material is peelable from said one or more tool edges.

12. The combination of a plow tool for stirring or mixing material in a vessel or chamber with a peripheral edging material secured to and along one or more edges of said tool adapted to operate in closely spaced relationship to adjacent interior surfaces of said vessel or chamber,

said edging material comprising a layer of frangible frail readily removable material adhesively secured to said tool edges,

said layer of edging material defining the spacing between said adjacent interior surfaces and said plow tool edges when said plow tool is installed for operation in said vessel or chamber, I said layer of edging material functioning only as a spacing agent for proper installation of said plow tool.

13. The edging material defined in claim 12, wherein said frangible particulate material comprises a sand-type material.

14. The edging material defined in claim 13, and including an outer covering layer of paper material adhesively secured to and upon said layer of frangible sand-type material.

15. The edging material defined in claim 12, wherein said frangible particulate material comprises a paper-type material.

16. The edging material defined in claim 12, wherein said edging material comprises a plurality of paperboard-type layers laminated together and having a surface thereof adapted to be adhesively secured to said tool edge.

17. The edging material defined in claim 15, wherein said paper-type edging material is peelable from said tool edge. 

1. A plow tool for stirring or mixing material in a vessel or chamber having a layer of frangible frail readily removable edging material of predetermined dimensional character secured to and along one or more edges of said tool, said layer of edging material defining a closely spaced relationship for said plow tool edges with adjacent interior surfaces of said vessel or chamber upon the installation of said plow tool therein, said edging material being readily destroyed and removed from said tool edges during the operative functioning of said tool in said vessel or chamber to leave said tool edges in properly spaced operative relationship to said adjacent interior surfaces.
 2. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said edging material extends and is secured upon said one or more tool edges which move in said spaced relationship to the interior surfaces of said vessel or chamber in which said tool is operative.
 3. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said layer of edging material is arranged in portions spaced apart from each other along said one or more tool edges.
 4. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said layer of edging material is arranged continuously along said one or more tool edges.
 5. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said edging material is adhesively secured to said one or more tool edges.
 6. A plow tool for stirring or mixing material in a vessel or chamber having a layer of frangible frail readily removable edging material of predetermined dimensional character secured to and along one or more edges of said tool, said layer of edging material defining a closely spaced relationship for said plow tool edges with adjacent interior surfaces of said vessel or chamber upon the installation of said plow tool therein, said edging material being readily removable from said tool edges prior to the operative functioning of said plow tool in said vessel or chamber to leave said tool edges in properly spaced operative relationship to said adjacent interior surfaces.
 7. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said edging material comprises a relatively thin layer of adhesive, and a layer of frangible particulate material secured to said adhesive layer.
 8. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said edging material comprises a relatively thin layer of adhesive, a layer of frangible particulate material secured to said adhesive layer, and an outer covering layer of paper material adhesively secured to and upon said layer of frangible material.
 9. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said edging material comprises a relatively thin layer of adhesive, and a layer of paper-type material secured to said adhesive layer.
 10. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said edging material comprises a relatively thin layer of adhesive, and a plurality of paperboard-type layers laminated together and having a surface thereof secured to said adhesive layer.
 11. The structure defined in claim 9, wherein said paper-type edging material is peelable from said one or more tool edges.
 12. The combination of a plow tool for stirring or mixing material in a vessel or chamber with a peripheral edging material secured to and along one or more edges of said tool adapted to operate in closely spaced relationship to adjacent interior surfaces of said vessel or chamber, said edging material comprising a layer of frangible frail readily removable material adhesively secured to said tool edges, said layer of edging material defining the spacing between said adjacent interior surfaces and said plow tool edges when said plow tool is installed for operation in said vessel or chamber, said layer of edging material functioning only as a spacing agent for proper installation of said plow tool.
 13. The edging material defined in claim 12, wherein said frangible particulate material comprises a sand-type material.
 14. The edging material defined in claim 13, and including an outer covering layer of paper material adhesively secured to and upon said layer of frangible sand-type material.
 15. The edging material defined in claim 12, wherein said frangible particulate material comprises a paper-type material.
 16. The edging material defined in claim 12, wherein said edging material comprises a plurality of paperboard-type layers laminated together and having a surface thereof adapted to be adhesively secured to said tool edge.
 17. The edging material defined in claim 15, wherein said paper-type edging material is peelable from said tool edge. 